The Falcons Online -- Seattle Pacific University Athletics

Hughes Is Athlete of Year; 4 Take Excellence Award
Castle, Lukkes Are Class of '03 Top Scholars
May 28, 2003

Tale of the tape

Featured speakers at the banquet were outgoing seniors Hughes, rower Reid Shipley and Widman and, with closing remarks, President Eaton...The Falcons finished with three teams (gymnastics, women's basketball and women's track) which were among the nation's top 20. Women's soccer and women's basketball accounted for the two GNAC championships...Individually, to date there are seven All-America athletes, five all-region and 37 all-conference. There are two Academic All-America, three academic all-region and 50 academic all-conference...One of the year's highlights was the induction of the inaugural class into the Falcon Legends Hall of Fame. Those inducted were Loren Anderson (basketball/baseball), Dr. Ken Foreman (athletic director/ head coach of cross country, basketball and track & field), Steve Gough (track & field), Howard Heppner (basketball), Doris Brown Heritage (cross country and track & field) and Ben Moring (track & field)...The sole coaching change occurred in women's soccer, with Chuck Sekyra replacing Bobby Bruch.

Gutsy guard is No. 1. In a year which will long be associated with the storybook women's basketball season, that squad's sparkplug guard, Kerie Hughes, was voted as Seattle Pacific University's Athlete of the Year for 2002-03. That award, along with the Falcon Awards for Excellence and various other honors were presented during the annual athletic awards banquet, held May 28 at Upper Gwinn Commons.

Hughes (Sr., Mount Vernon, Wa.) became the sixth female basketball player to in 45 years to earn the university's top annual award. The gritty point guard shrugged off injuries (shattered teeth, sprained knee) to help lead the Falcons (29-1) to a record-setting season in which they finished the regular season unbeaten, won the Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship and ascended to the No. 1 ranking in NCAA Division II for five consecutive weeks. Hughes was voted the GNAC player of the year, all-region and honorable mention All-America. She led the team in assists (5.4), steals (1.9) and was No. 2 in scoring (12.4).

Head coaches of the 12 varsity sports voted for athlete of the year, and the ballot was full of worthy candidates, including national championship rowers, a national championship gymnast and All-America track & field athletes. Hughes is the first winner from women's basketball since Debbie Miller in 1998.

Tops in their class. Hughes was also among a group of four distinguished seniors who received the Falcon Award for Excellence, the highest honor for career achievement in athletics, academics and leadership. Also receiving the award from President Philip Eaton were gymnast Rachael Anderson (Sr., Yakima, Wa./West Valley) and track & field standouts Sarah Kraybill (Sr., Seattle, Wa./Ballard) and Laura Widman (Sr., Colfax, Wa.).

Anderson, a three-year-letterwinner and biology major with a 3.57 grade point average, was an All-America in her final season, finishing third nationally on vault. She was voted academic all-district and academic all-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation as a senior, and was a USA Gymnastics Scholar Athlete as junior and senior. Anderson served as team co-captain her final two years and was voted most improved as a junior and most inspirational as a senior. SPU finished among the top four teams nationally each of her years.

Hughes, a business administration major with a 3.25 GPA, lettered and started four seasons, with those teams winning two conference titles and earning four NCAA tournament bids. In addition to her aforementioned awards, she was an academic all-conference selection, team co-MVP and co-captain as a senior. Hughes completed her career as the SPU record-holder for career free throw accuracy, season free throw percentage, No. 4 in career assists and steals.

Kraybill, an English major with a 3.74 GPA, capped her two years in cross country and four years in track only last week. As a senior she was All-America both indoors and outdoors and West Region athlete of the year. She took fourth in the 800 meters at the NCAA indoor meet and third outdoors. Kraybill was voted GNAC Championships athlete of the meet following her victories in the 800 and 1500 and second-place showing in the 400. She also won the conference 400 as a freshman and 800 as a junior. She ranks No. 4 all-time in the 800 and was a member of the No. 3 1600 relay. A three-time academic all-conference choice, she was selected academic all-district as a senior and was MVP of this year's team.

Widman, another four-year letterwinner in track, is a fifth-year senior and psychology major with a 3.65 GPA. She concluded her career last week with her fourth trip to the NCAA Championships. Widman was a two-time All-America in the heptathlon, finishing second as a sophomore and fifth as a freshman. She was the SPU and conference track athlete of the year as sophomore following conference championships in the 200, high jump and long jump and the No. 4 all-time school heptathlon score. Widman was voted academic all-district and academic all-conference as a junior and senior. Her team honors include co-MVP as freshman and sophomore and junior, most inspirational as freshman, junior and senior and team captain as a senior.

Top of the class. Track and cross country runner Nathanael Castle (Sr., Gooding, Id.) and basketball's Stacie Lukkes (Sr., Kent, Wa./Kentwood) were recipients of the Clifford McCrath 101 Scholar Athlete Award, presented by the Washington Athletic Club's 101 Club. Lukkes, a business administration major with a 3.93 GPA, and Castle, an art major with a 3.70, owned the highest GPAs among the graduating seniors.

Our Dean's List. A total of 35 scholar athletes were recognized for maintaining a GPA of 3.50 or higher over the past three quarters, dating back to spring of 2002. The complete list: Rachael Anderson, gymnastics; Kirsten Bjork, cross country; Joel Braman, crew; Shannon Buehler, crew; Elyse Cansler, crew; Nathanael Castle, track/cross country; Chris Cohen, basketball; Carri Colvin, volleyball; Julie Evin, gymnastics; Valerie Gustafson, basketball; Adam Harris, basketball; Ruth Hawkinson, cross country; Joanna Hodgkiss, crew; Jennifer Hull, soccer; Lauren Kooy, track & field; Katy Kravitz, volleyball; Sarah Kraybill, cross country/track & field; Tim LeCount, cross country/track & field; Jordan Lee, basketball; Brandon Littlefield, track & field; Stacie Lukkes, basketball; Paul Mach, cross country/track & field; Tim Marston, cross country/track & field; Corrie McDaniel, gymnastics; Sarah Melby, soccer; Jennifer Pyeatt, track & field; Amber Rose, track & field; Michelle Sanders, soccer; Daniel Sandrin, basketball; Michael Schefter, soccer; Scott Van Hess, cross country/track & field; Tyler Van Stright, crew; Laura Widman, track & field; Stacia Willson, volleyball; Jamie Witt, cross country/track & field.

Blanketed with awards. Receiving embroidered personalized blankets for being four-year letterwinners were 19 seniors: Carri Colvin, volleyball; Adrian Cravalho, soccer; Lindsay Dilschneider, crew; Grant Falco, soccer; Adam Harris, basketball; Ruth Hawkinson, cross country; Kerie Hughes, basketball; Cory Janzen, soccer; Sarah Kraybill, track & field; Stacie Lukkes, basketball; Michael Pardini, soccer; Reid Shipley, crew; Andrew Steiner, track & field; Kristen Strid, gymnastics; Stephanie Urrutia, basketball; Scott Van Hess, cross country/track & field; Laura Widman, track & field; Gene Woodard, basketball.